A medical student from Nagaland who arrived from Ukraine was received at Nagaland House in New Delhi by Dy. Resident Commissioner Wennyei Konyak and staff on Wednesday, an official report said today.
The medical student studying in Ukraine arrived on March 2 from Rzeszow Poland by a special aircraft arranged by the Government of India that landed in the morning at 10 am at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
Narrating her story, the medical student from Nagaland said Indian medical students along with her walked for two days along with others to the border of Poland, and the Indian Embassy in Poland had assisted them from the border to an airport, the report also said.
Nagaland House, New Delhi had assigned Kuolie Mere, Deputy Director and Sr. PRO (IPR) along with Airport Protocol Asst. Khiezo Zuyie to receive her at the airport. Deputy Resident Commissioner Nagaland House Delhi, Wennyei Konyak also accorded her a warm welcome at Nagaland House, 29. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Road, New Delhi.
The state government of Nagaland assured support and facilitation to stranded citizens from Nagaland. Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland, Y. Patton had assured to take care of all the expenditure incurred by Nagaland citizens traveling from Ukraine to Nagaland state. Earlier Y Patton has said that he will extend all assistance personally to Naga students and citizens stranded in Ukraine or taking shelter in neighboring countries.
The Deputy Chief Minister also appealed to the parents and relatives of those needing assistance to send him the details of any such person. He further said that he will extend all possible help to bring them home by getting in touch with the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Meanwhile, three Manipur MBBS students are having a hard time spending most of their time inside a bunker since the situation got worsened day by day.
The three MBBS students from Manipur stranded in Ukraine's eastern state are Seiginhao Khongsai (24), son of Jangkholal Khongsai from Ng. Phainom village in Saikul, Kangpokpi District, Jameson Khumanthem from Heirok, Thoubal District, and Sadananda Yumnam from Canchipur, Imphal West District.
The students while thanking the state Chief Minister N. Biren Singh for contacting them personally and taking stock of their situation, fervently appealed to the state government and authorities concerned for swift evacuation of stranded Indians including them in the eastern state of Ukraine where no evacuation plan has been initiated till date.
Living in a state of fear and anxiety, the three medical students conveyed that if no evacuation has been initiated at the earliest they would go starve within a week as most of their essential needs would go out of stock.
The three are pursuing second year MBBS course at Sumy State University in the eastern state of Ukraine bordering Russia is currently staying in the University Hostel No.3, sources said.
According to the three, evacuation has been going on in the western state which is approximately 800 Km.away from their place in the eastern Sumy state bordering Russia, and it is too difficult to go to the western state since all types of transportation have been halted while it is impossible to find a private vehicle or driver to transport owing to the worsening situation.
Seiginhao Khongsai narrated their miseries and grievances apart from their helpless situation while seeking the urgent intervention of the Government of India, Government of Manipur, and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine for early evacuation of stranded Indians in the eastern state of Ukraine.
He said that amidst our hard times, we are extremely happy and motivated when our Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had personally contacted us and took stock of the situation while adding that we felt at home and enlivened our spirit.
He, however, said that no evacuation plan seems initiated so far for the stranded Indians in the eastern state which worried us a lot and we are restless.
He continued that as we have lost one more precious life of a student we become so emotional and we felt we have been abandoned here helpless and vulnerable while adding that we are longing to be back home and stay safe with our family.
"We laid down, hide and even sometimes we sleep the whole night inside the bunker restlessly", he said before adding that we have almost lost all hope by now.
Sadananda Yumnam said, "We fear to venture out as firing, airstrike, bombardment could happen anytime but we are compelled to go out and fetch our essential needs which too is very difficult to get it by now".
"We are extremely happy that those back in our hometown prayed for our safety and safe evacuation through our chief minister but the situation here is worsening day by day while there is no plan of evacuation till date in the eastern state of Ukraine", he added.
He continued that evacuation has been going on in the western state which is approximately 800 Km. away from us and going there without any means of transport is not possible now, so, we are left with no option but to stay back stranded with lots of difficulties day after day.
According to the trio, they could get two packages of bread, one for the morning meal and another one for the evening.
They also said that if they are not evacuated within a week there is a high possibility that they would starve since most of the shops have been closed and their essential needs would go out of stock very soon.
They strongly appealed to the Government of India, the Government of Manipur, and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to consider as well the stranded Indians in the eastern state of Ukraine and initiate early evacuation in the larger interest of saving hundreds of stranded Indians in the bordering eastern state.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who is currently in Ukraine's bordering nations along with three other Union Ministers as the prime minister's special envoy to oversee the evacuation of Indians was seen talking with the stranded Indians saying that as per the direction of the Prime Minister we will evacuate every Indians from Ukraine while assuring that I will not leave until all Indians are evacuated.
However, he said that right now in a war zone eastern states of Ukraine there are some compulsions with regards to evacuation as even our embassy's staff also could not get in there owing to firing, bombardment, etc.
He continued that the circumstances in the eastern states are very challenging at present but still, we are making all efforts to evacuate all stranded Indians from Ukraine and make them reach their home safely.
(With inputs from Kangpokpi correspondent)
